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scour¹

(skour)

v. scoured, scour·ing, scours

v.tr.

a. To clean, polish, or wash by scrubbing vigorously: scour a dirty oven.

b. To remove by scrubbing: scour grease from a pan.

2. To remove dirt or grease from (cloth or fibers) by means of a detergent.

3. To clean (wheat) before the milling process.

4. To clear (an area) by freeing of weeds or other vegetation.

5. To clear (a channel or pipe) by flushing.

v.intr.

1. To scrub something in order to clean or polish it.

2. To have diarrhea. Used of livestock.

1. A scouring action or effect.

2. A place that has been scoured, as by flushing with water.

3. A cleansing agent for wool.

4. scours (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Diarrhea in livestock.

[Middle English scouren, from Middle Dutch scūren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excūrāre, to clean out : Latin ex-, ex-, Late Latin cūrāre, to clean (from Latin, to take care of, from cūra, care; see CURE).]

scourer n.

scour²

(skour)

v. scoured, scour·ing, scours

v.tr.

1. To search through or over thoroughly: The detective scoured the scene of the crime for clues.

2. To range over (an area) quickly and energetically.

v.intr.

1. To range over or about an area, especially in a search.

2. To move swiftly; scurry.

[Middle English scouren, to move swiftly, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skūr, shower.]

scourer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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